“I was glad the Governor presented a balanced budget proposal, as he has the past two years. More importantly, though, he highlighted some of the key points needed to get a budget done. The State Senate has been working on a grand bargain and it was helpful of the Governor to talk about the elements he supports, what he won’t support, and our next steps moving forward. His comments can serve to help breathe additional life into these negotiations,” said Demmer.

Demmer continued, “However, a final budget solution will require the Senate, the House, and the Governor agreeing on a path forward. Today’s speech was agreat way to bring new energy into negotiations. It’s important to recognize that the only way we can fund our priorities is with growing our tax base. We can’t just tax our way out of this mess. We can’t just cut our way out of this mess. Rather, we need growth and balanced budgets for years to come.”

Demmer continued, “now is the time to seize this moment, build on progress already made in a bipartisan fashion and move forward with reforms. Taxpayers are sick and tired of the finger-pointing and are now simply voting with their feet. We have to stop the exodus and enact policies to repatriate lost jobs and new jobs.”